John M'Moryn appears as a witness in Kirkcudbright in 1466. Alexander
McMoren in Galloway had a respite for "treasonable intercommonyng with
Inglismen" in 1529.1M’Morrane of
Kirkennan, being in debt 400 merks to George Gordon in Culwha, assigned
to him the lands of Mylneton of Buittle on the 20th May 1585. He married
Margaret,
daughter of John Gordon of Lag, parish of Girthon.2 Probate records
show Edward Malmorane was retoured heir of Margaret Gordoun
his mother in lands of Blakat in Kirkcudbright in 1576. On the 25th
June 1586, Edward (Maxwell), commendator of Dundrennan, conveyed to Robert
M’Morrane of Kirkennan, the teind schaws of the eight-merk land of
Torr and Len Schannel, with pertinents in Rerwick. The witness to this
was James Hutton, Prior, &c. Robert M’Morrane appears to have
left two daughters as heirs-portioners. Their names were Nicolas
and Margaret. On the 26th February 1592, they were served as heirs
to their father.3 The farms of Blackbelly,
Chapeltoun or Chapelcroft, &c., are believed to have formed a portion
of the Buittle estate and a notice dated 12th March 1611, shows Nicola
and Rosina, daughters and heirs of Robert M’Morane, had retour
of Blackbelly, &c. On the 31st October 1615, Robert, son of Robert
Maxwell of Spottes, was served heir to Chapelcroft or Chapeltoun, and Blackbellie,
but in what way he became heir does not appear.4

The first mention of the name in the parish registers is in Minnigaff
where
John McMorran married Janet Henderson in 1707. In Girthon,
Margaret
McMorrin married James Paulin in 1729 and Helen McMorrin
married James Tod in 1732. Robert McMorine and his wife Jannet
McClellan had a daughter Margaret baptised at Buittle in 1738.
Another Helen McMorran married John McCutcheon at Minnigaff
in 1749. In Twynholm Samuel McMoran had a daughter
Mary baptised
in 1766 and William McMorran married Janet Rain there in
1772. A William McMoran had a son William baptised at Balmaghie
in 1769 (see The McMorrans of Kirkcudbright
website).

Unfortunately the church records are too incomplete to allow any connections
to be drawn between these early inhabitants of Kirkcudbright although it
is evident the McMorran surname has over a 500 year history in the county.

1George F. Black, "The
Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History" NY Public Library,
NY, 1965, 2nd Reprinting.2,3,4P.H. M'Kerlie,
"History of the Lands and Their Owners in Galloway" Edinburgh, 1877.

The earliest parish register entry is for the marriage of Edward
McMorreine to Jeane Thomsone at Dumfries in 1670 and the earliest
baptism of is of Margrat McMorrine, daughter to Robert, on
7 January 1681 at Dumfries. There is a gap in further entries until Walter
McMoran has his son Thomas baptised in Kirkpatrick Juxta in
1748, and James McMorin married Elizabeth Walker in that
same year at Kirkmahoe. Samuel McMorran and Barbara Haining
had their children baptised in Sanquhar from 1758. Samuel McMor(r)in
and his wife Helen Watson had three children baptised in Morton
by Thornhill from 1774.

As I
am now focussing entirely on the McMorran surname in Lanarkshire and adjacent
counties in Scotland, this site will no longer be updated after 2013
Anyone wishing to continue hosting and updating the McMorrin/McMorrin/McMorine
site sub-pages is welcome to contact me
Marcel Safier, P.O. Box 239, Holland Park 4121,
Queensland, Australia,msafier@ozemail.com.au